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Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen (September 25, 1957 – July 3, 2025) was an American actor. He was widely known for starring in Quentin Tarantino's films Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). His other film roles included WarGames (1983), The Natural (1984), The Doors (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Free Willy (1993), Species (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Die Another Day (2002), Sin City (2005), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). Madsen also voiced characters in video games such as Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Narc (2005), the Dishonored series (2012–2017), The Walking Dead: Season Two (2014), and Crime Boss: Rockay City (2023). Madsen had seven children, including actor Christian Madsen.
Michael Søren Madsen was born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, the son of Elaine (née Melson), a filmmaker and author, and Calvin Christian Madsen, a World War II Navy veteran and firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department. His mother had Irish and Native American ancestry, while his paternal grandparents were Danish immigrants. He had two sisters: actress Virginia and entrepreneur Cheryl. His parents divorced in the 1960s; his mother, having been encouraged by film critic Roger Ebert, left the financial world to pursue a career in the arts. Madsen attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
Madsen began working at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where he served as an apprentice under John Malkovich and appeared in a production of Of Mice and Men.
His first notable film role was a small part for the science fiction film, WarGames. He appeared in John Dahl's thriller Kill Me Again as criminal Vince Miller opposite Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley. In Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut film Reservoir Dogs, Madsen played "Mr. Blonde", a cruel criminal. Steve Buscemi received the role of "Mr. Pink", which Madsen wanted because it had more scenes with Harvey Keitel. For Pulp Fiction, Madsen declined the role of Vincent Vega, which went to John Travolta.
Madsen starred in the crime film Donnie Brasco. He said of his later choice of film roles: "Some of them I'm only in for 10 minutes, but they bought my name, and they bought my face to put on the DVD box with a gun. What people don't always understand is that I established a certain lifestyle for my family back in the days of Species and Mulholland Falls and The Getaway. I wasn't about to move my six kids into a trailer park... when people offered me work, it wasn't always the best, but I had to buy groceries and I had to put gas in the car."
In 1993, Madsen appeared in Free Willy as Glen Greenwood, the apprehensive but devout foster father of the film's main character played by Jason James Richter (a role that reprised in the second). Madsen played assassin Budd, the brother of Bill (David Carradine), in Kill Bill: Volume 2. In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for the film to unite Madsen and Travolta, as The Vega Brothers. In 2007, Tarantino said the film (which he intended to call Double V Vega) was "kind of unlikely now", because of the age of the actors and the onscreen deaths of both characters.
Madsen appeared in Uwe Boll's BloodRayne, a film he said is "an abomination... It's a horrifying and preposterous movie." He won Best Actor awards at the Boston Film Festival and New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his performance in Strength and Honour. He played himself in the mockumentary Being Michael Madsen. Madsen co-starred in Coma, a Web series on Crackle.
He played Jim Ricker, the old friend of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), in the eighth season of 24. Madsen starred in the comedy film Let the Game Begin. On January 5, 2012, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and he finished in 4th place in the competition. In February 2014, he played Las Vegas casino mogul Ted Binion in Josh Evans' film Death in the Desert. The screenplay was written by John Steppling, based on the book Death in the Desert by crime writer Cathy Scott.In August 2014, Madsen starred in the Kill Bill-themed music video for the song "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora.
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Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen (September 25, 1957 – July 3, 2025) was an American actor. He was widely known for starring in Quentin Tarantino's films Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). His other film roles included WarGames (1983), The Natural (1984), The Doors (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Free Willy (1993), Species (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Die Another Day (2002), Sin City (2005), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). Madsen also voiced characters in video games such as Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Narc (2005), the Dishonored series (2012–2017), The Walking Dead: Season Two (2014), and Crime Boss: Rockay City (2023). Madsen had seven children, including actor Christian Madsen.
Michael Søren Madsen was born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, the son of Elaine (née Melson), a filmmaker and author, and Calvin Christian Madsen, a World War II Navy veteran and firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department. His mother had Irish and Native American ancestry, while his paternal grandparents were Danish immigrants. He had two sisters: actress Virginia and entrepreneur Cheryl. His parents divorced in the 1960s; his mother, having been encouraged by film critic Roger Ebert, left the financial world to pursue a career in the arts. Madsen attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
Madsen began working at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where he served as an apprentice under John Malkovich and appeared in a production of Of Mice and Men.
His first notable film role was a small part for the science fiction film, WarGames. He appeared in John Dahl's thriller Kill Me Again as criminal Vince Miller opposite Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley. In Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut film Reservoir Dogs, Madsen played "Mr. Blonde", a cruel criminal. Steve Buscemi received the role of "Mr. Pink", which Madsen wanted because it had more scenes with Harvey Keitel. For Pulp Fiction, Madsen declined the role of Vincent Vega, which went to John Travolta.
Madsen starred in the crime film Donnie Brasco. He said of his later choice of film roles: "Some of them I'm only in for 10 minutes, but they bought my name, and they bought my face to put on the DVD box with a gun. What people don't always understand is that I established a certain lifestyle for my family back in the days of Species and Mulholland Falls and The Getaway. I wasn't about to move my six kids into a trailer park... when people offered me work, it wasn't always the best, but I had to buy groceries and I had to put gas in the car."
In 1993, Madsen appeared in Free Willy as Glen Greenwood, the apprehensive but devout foster father of the film's main character played by Jason James Richter (a role that reprised in the second). Madsen played assassin Budd, the brother of Bill (David Carradine), in Kill Bill: Volume 2. In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for the film to unite Madsen and Travolta, as The Vega Brothers. In 2007, Tarantino said the film (which he intended to call Double V Vega) was "kind of unlikely now", because of the age of the actors and the onscreen deaths of both characters.
Madsen appeared in Uwe Boll's BloodRayne, a film he said is "an abomination... It's a horrifying and preposterous movie." He won Best Actor awards at the Boston Film Festival and New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his performance in Strength and Honour. He played himself in the mockumentary Being Michael Madsen. Madsen co-starred in Coma, a Web series on Crackle.
He played Jim Ricker, the old friend of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), in the eighth season of 24. Madsen starred in the comedy film Let the Game Begin. On January 5, 2012, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and he finished in 4th place in the competition. In February 2014, he played Las Vegas casino mogul Ted Binion in Josh Evans' film Death in the Desert. The screenplay was written by John Steppling, based on the book Death in the Desert by crime writer Cathy Scott.In August 2014, Madsen starred in the Kill Bill-themed music video for the song "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora.